Women's Soccer Head Coach Dave Clarke and Director of Athletics Jack McDonald Named to Inaugural Irish Sports Top 50

Photos of Irish Sports 50 Reception

NEW YORK, N.Y. – Quinnipiac women's soccer coach Dave Clarke and director of athletics & recreation Jack McDonald and were recently named to the 2013 Irish Sports Top 50. The first annual Irish Sports Top 50 is presented by the Irish Voice, which also honors the Irish Legal 100 and the Irish Education 100.

The most notable honorees include New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, former University of Connecticut men's basketball head coach Jim Calhoun, New York Mets manager Terry Colins, New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin, IMG Worldwide CEO Michael J. Dolan, Los Angeles Galaxy star Robbie Keane, University of Notre Dame football head coach Brian Kelly, New York Giants president and CEO John Mara, professional tennis legend John McEnroe, Miami Heat president Pat Riley and Texas Rangers CEO Nolan Ryan, in addition to many more notable Irish sports figures.

"It is very humbling to be named as one of the 50 Irish sports figures," Clarke said. "It is an honor to be recognized with the likes of Robbie Keane, John McEnroe, Jim Calhoun and Tom Brady, sports figures who have accomplished so much in their careers."

Clarke recently earned national recognition for his "#26 Uniform Auction for Sandy Hook" that established a scholarship fund in memory of those killed in Newtown back in December. Clarke's vision helped to raise more than $30,000 in a month, surpassing its original goal of $25,000.

In April, following the auction culmination, Clarke commented that, "The tragedy at Sandy Hook hit a raw nerve with everybody around the world and soccer is truly a global game. When you look at the continents involved, the countries involved and some of the politics involved, that's greater than the cause itself."

Clarke recently completed his 14^th season as Quinnipiac's women's soccer head coach, posting a 117-111-23 record. Clarke guided the 2000 team to the NCAA Tournament, becoming the first head coach to do so in the University's Division I history. A native of Dublin, Ireland, Clarke was an assistant on the 2008 Irish national women's team. Clarke previously coached at the University of New Haven where he was named 1998 NECC Coach of the Year.

McDonald has been at the helm of the Quinnipiac athletic department for the past 18 years, guiding the University's varsity programs from Division II to Division I status. McDonald was recently honored with the St. Francis Award by the Franciscan Life Center.

"I am very honored to be named to the Irish Sports 50," McDonald said. "This recognition made me immediately think of the McDonalds and Sullivans who brought me to this world and our families to the America from Ireland. I am truly honored and very, very grateful to all my family and sports colleagues who have assisted me so warmly for many years."

In addition to assisting the University with raising funds for scholarships, facilities, McDonald has overseen fund-raising programs for the Quinnipiac community and charities, as well as raise thousands of dollars in his own community with the Irish Eyes Are Miling (Cheshire Relay for Life), Labor Day Movie Night (Petit Family Foundation) and the Gurnet Saquish Beach Run (Gurnet Saquish Fire Fund).

An active member of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), McDonald was named to the Executive Committee after serving as the NCAA I-AAA President. In addition to Quinnipiac's many on-field accomplishments under McDonald's guidance, the Bobcats have also reached unprecedented heights in the classroom.

In each of the last 14 years as a Division I athletic department, Quinnipiac has seen consistent improvement in its student-athletes cumulative grade-point averages and steady expansion of all-academic honors within the Northeast Conference and ECAC Hockey. McDonald founded the Quinnipiac governing board of faculty and staff, the Athletics Council and instituted "Positive Play" programs with the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

McDonald also helped secure Quinnipiac's Invitation to the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) in 2012; ECAC Hockey in 2004; and Quinnipiac's first NCAA Certification since moving to Division I in 2004. McDonald was also an intergral part of Quinnipiac's program, design, construction and dedication of the TD Bank Sports Center, a 160,000 square foot facility that features separate state of the art venues for men's and women's basketball and ice hockey.

The TD Bank Sports Center has received significant national recognition for its equity for men and women, as well as for basketball and ice hockey. This past fall, McDonald led the initiative to secure the 2014 NCAA Women's Frozen Four at High Point Solutions Arena at the TD Bank Sports Center.

Before Quinnipiac, McDonald served as director of athletics at the University of Denver (1990-95) and assistant athletic director for marketing and development at Boston College (1987-90). McDonald is a 1973 graduate of Boston College. He earned a master's degree from Springfield College in 1984.

2013 Irish Sports Top 50

Keegan Bradley	PGA Tour Professional
Tom Brady	New England Patriots
Thomas Brennan	Director of Athletics, LaSalle University
Tim Brosnan	Major League Baseball
Joe Browne	National Football League
Jim Calhoun	Former Men's Basketball Head Coach, University of Connecticut
Dave Clarke	Women's Soccer Head Coach, Quinnipiac University
Mike Cleary	Director Emeritus, NACDA
Terry Collins	Manager, New York Mets
Cathy Coughlin	Sr. Executive Vice President, AT&T
Tom Coughlin	Head Coach, New York Giants
William Daly	Deputy Director, National Hockey League
Michael J. Dolan	Chairman and CEO, IMG Worldwide
David Feherty	Former PGA Tour Pro, CBS Sports Golf Reporter
John Flaherty	Former MLB Player; Analyst, YES Network
Tim Flannery	Third Base Coach, San Francisco Giants
Kevin Garrity	NY1 Cable
Sean Gleason	President and COO, Professional Bull Riders
Jack Hayes	Director of Athletics, Brown University
John Hayes	Chief Marketing Officer, American Express
Debbie Hesse	Executive Director, USA Swimming
Robbie Keane	Los Angeles Galaxy, Major League Soccer
Alfred F. Kelly, Jr.	President and CEO, NY/NJ 2014 Super Bown Host Committee
Brian Kelly	Head Football Coach, University of Notre Dame
Marybeth Lamb	Director of Athletics, Bridgewater State Univesity
Michael O'Hara Lynch	Chief Marketing and Revenue Officer, Association of Surfing Professionals
Bill Madden	Sports Columnist, New York Daily News
John Mara	President and CEO, New York Giants
Tim McCarver	Baseball Analyst, Fox Sports
Jack McDonald	Director of Athletics & Recreation, Quinnipiac University
Meghan McDonogh	Senior Woman Administrator, Catholic University
John McEnroe	Former Tennis Professional
Jack McGinley	Pittsburgh Steelers
Frank McLaughlin	Associate Vice President for Athletics, Fordham University
Tom McNamara	Director of Amateur Scouting, Seattle Mariners
Pat O'Conner	Minor League Baseball
Mary O'Connor	Vice President of Olympic Marketing, The Marketing Arm
Ryan O'Hara	Director, The Topps Company, Inc.
Pat Riley	President, Miami Heat
Erin Quinn	Director of Athletics, Middlebury College
Arthur J. Rooney, II	President, Pittsburgh Steelers
Timothy J. Rooney	President, Yonkers Raceway
Nolan Ryan	CEO, Texas Rangers
Thomas Scanlon	Founding Partner,Collins & Scanlon LLP
Erin Donnelly Saulnier	Vice President of Marketing, NBC Sports
Mike Sheehan	Chairman, Hill Holliday
Bill Smith	Director of Team Sales, Madison Square Garden
Brendan Sullivan	Director of Athletics, Stonehill College
Stephen Travers	Vice President of Hospitality, Group Sales and Guest Services, New York Racing Association
Mark Tuohey	Former Chair, D.C. Sports and Entertainment Commission

Schedule

Women's Soccer Head Coach Dave Clarke and Director of Athletics Jack McDonald Named to Inaugural Irish Sports Top 50

Footer

Quinnipiac University Athletics

Upcoming Events

Upcoming Event: Women's Golf at Lehigh on Sep. 30, 2025 at 8:30 AM

Upcoming Event: Women's Golf at Sacred Heart on Sep. 30, 2025 at 9:30 AM

Upcoming Event: Women's Volleyball at Merrimack on Sep. 30, 2025 at 6:00 PM

Upcoming Event: Women's Soccer at Siena on Oct. 1, 2025 at 3:00 PM

Women's Soccer Head Coach Dave Clarke and Director of Athletics Jack McDonald Named to Inaugural Irish Sports Top 50

Related Videos

Footer